On The Media

Where's the OTM story... which is not just her story BUT more importantly:

Why wasn't her arrest covered in the non-OTM press? Try and find her name in the NYT, for example. What does their Public Editor say on that? Other major papers/sources?

It took me very few keystrokes to find NYT coverage of Goodman, though always linked to her video. Some of the dampening of the coverage is probably due to her ownership of the story.

I always admired Abbie Hoffman but this reminds me that a large measure of his success in the media owes to the times in which he worked. Police state strategies have closed off avenues of creative, positive dissent and instigated violence is a tactic to discredit it. I like the

slogan, 'If you can't dance, it's not my revolution," though I highly prefer the verb revolt.

The whole world can no longer be watching and, as Gil Scott Heron used to sing, "The Revolution will not be televised." We don't even have American Bandstand, anymore.

What I don't remember a word about in St. Paul was their bridge to Nowhere; the one that was replaced just a couple of weeks later. Can anyone say crumbling infrastructure?

THANK YOU for having Amy Goodman on your show!

Also, for the guy who posted asking why the mainstream media didn't cover this, the answer is easy. The CORPORATE media has a direct conflict of interest- it is in their interest to keep us ignorant and afraid. They will ALWAYS hype murders and other cracy crimes. They will NEVER adequately cover protests- the media does NOT want you to think you can actually DO anything. Just sit home, hopeless, popping prescription drugs and watching tv. Organizing will not help. :)

There was video shown on Nightline a month ago where the Denver Police mishandled a Nightline producer the crew as the ABC video team was taping. They were claiming he (and they) were blocking the sidewalk. This was related to filming of lobyists and congressmen.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Conventions/story?id=5668622&page=1

This was only talked about once, and other arrests talked about in general. While I usually am pro-police when they arrest people who are truely creating a dangerous situation and unlawfully gathering to create chaos, there are still many times when the actions of the police go beyond the point of sense.

To have the police ignore her press credentials is beyond the point of sense as they didn't bother to make sure they were real, they just didn't bother. While they have a lot to deal with they still need to make sure innocent people are n't being swept up. This is not a war time situation. There IS time to check and recheck.

I was appalled that the police would perpetrate such a blatant disregard for the right of free press. Even if they were unsure and needed to verify credentials this type of treatment is unwarranted. I had tears in my eyes as I listened to this poor woman's scared voice saying, "Press, press, press...". Not just out of a feeling of empathy but outrage that in our country this would happen. It is exactly these rights that were violated that our sons and daughters are dying for when they go to war. The people who disallow free speech are the ones who disrespect our soldiers, not the people who make a stand against war. I had no idea this could happen in my country. I guess I have had my head in the sand.

O my God! This is MONSTROUS. The Demons have been released from Hell. Dante put the Falsifiers in the last level of Hell and the liars to their own citizens in the very lowest circle of that level. The powers that be in the US are in that Hell and now they are trying to bring everyone down into their Hell with them. The USA is no longer a democracy. It is a facist criminal tranny.

Dear St. Paul Officials & Leadership,

I am currently looking for a career change from my current place and occupation in Michigan. I am researching larger cities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. My family are all originally from Minnesota, so my proclivity was to possibly return.

I'd heard it was a thoughtful, open-minded area, and close to nature. My kind of values. Upon beginning my research, however, I stumbled upon this story. Quite frankly, it scared me: http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2008/09/26/05

I served as an M.P. in the U.S. Army, and did undercover work for it's C.I.D. I understand the trust that goes along with the power granted to peace officers. I am also well aware how easily that responsibility can be abused with poor leadership.

Your officers' behavior, and your Prosecutor's comments scare me. As it stands, my family and I currently view St. Paul as a city to cross off our list of prospective cities for a career search.

Please tell me what the local response to the police behavior was. Was anyone reprimanded, or were any policies or procedures changed or created? The answers to these questions might renew our positive perspective.

I've listened to Garrison Keillor off and on for over 15 years. What I've imagined the Twin Cities to be, and how they appear to me right now are quite different.

I await your response,

Bill Horntvedt

The letter in the adjacent post was sent to these folks:

To: ward1@ci.stpaul.mn.us, ward2@ci.stpaul.mn.us, ward3@ci.stpaul.mn.us, ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us, ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us, ward6@ci.stpaul.mn.us, ward7@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Cc: john.harrington@ci.stpaul.mn.us

OTM should not be surprised that a person with or without press credentials is arrested for breaking through a police line and disregarding instructions from a police officer to respect a perimeter. I hope that Amy Goodman learns what appropriate behavior is for the Press. That behavior is to record and report the story not to run into the middle of it and become the story.

If Amy Goodman insists on busting Police lines then all members of the press with credentials that cover the story instead of make an attempt at street theater while feigning reportage will be less able to push the boundary that Ms. Goodman so boldly disregarding the line between reporting and being an activist.

Was Goodman's a good arrest or was it illegal. Were taxpayer dollars used to spy and threaten citizens involved in patriotic first amendment activities (which have been legal for decades). Which part of freedom fighter is Amy Goodman and crew's cry to drop the charges...instead of we are suing you for breach of the first amendment. Law breaking? wow was she Scooter Libbyed?

I was horrified when I heard the sound of the producer's arrest. Notice how the police disabled the reporters camera too. They clearly didn't want evidence of their bad behavior and should be prosecuted!!!!

I don't work in national media. I'm a local TV person. Used to be a reporter, but am a weather anchor these days largely because of the way law enforcement has been treating reporters. It really has gotten bad out there and I fear it'll get worse.

Thanks to OTM for running this story. I hope you keep running that horrifying audio of credentialed reporters being taken down and force those in charge to answer for this. It's what you'd expect in the former Soviet Union, or in China today. Not the United States of America!

Makes me wonder why no other reporters were treated this way?

I tend to think that Amy did something to provoke them.

All you have to do is challenge a policeman's authority, and guess what, you'll be on the ground.

If what Dave Cochran of Corpus Christi writes is really his personal truth and reflects his governments' relationships with the press, we are in a very sad state of affairs in this country.

From what we see in New Haven, this attitude is just as present in Democratic administrations as Republican ones. Here, they fire city employees with the temerity of exercising their free speech rights.

Taking into consideration Ms. Goodmans' experience, the (pre-emptive) raid on the I Witness people, the raid on the home of Michael Whalen and other actions of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, it seems that any reasonable person might draw the conclusion that there was an organized plan to stifle dissent and/or political activity during the GOP Convention by those who may disagree with the platforms and ideas espoused by the GOP. Now the question becomes-whose idea was it to handle the groups opposing the GOP in the Twin Cities in this manner? Who came up with this plan of action? As to Ms. Goodman's experience, it was suggested by poster Matt that she "broke through" police lines after being asked not to cross them. From what i've read and heard, she was dragged through them by the police themselves after asking to speak to the commanding officer present regarding the arrest of her producers, then physically abused. I don't know where Matt got his information, but if he has sources which show that Ms. Goodman in fact busted through the lines, I for one would like to see or hear from these sources. Also, poster rp suggests ms Goodman "did something" to provoke the police. Is simply asking about the status of her producers and requesting their release a "challenge" to their authority and reasonable cause to abuse and arrest her? And by the way, I think that other journalists who were covering the events in the street outside the convention did get the same treatment.

THis sounds like what was described in Mein Kampf. In conjunction with the McCain/Palin campaign propaganda tactics, their campaign resembles fascism.

I have a combat-related severe disability and this is not the America for which I fought. It's ironic that the most anti-American (by behavior displayed) politicians referring the Democrats as unamericans.